No love for Intel LGA3647?

[zachj]

The LGA 3647 platform was introduced around the same time as Socket SP3 for EPYC. EPYC provides a stronger socket, more memory bandwidth, more PCIe lanes, and more cores for a much lower price.

It took some time, but the prices have improved on the used market

this is true on the processors themselves but it’s not true on the motherboards. I can buy two fully functional s3647 systems for the price of a single h12ssl motherboard.

Nobody is debating that epyc isn’t the better platform; it definitely is. But it is more expensive and regardless s3647 is still a very good platform for the vast majority of homelab needs. At the same platform cost I’d choose epyc but that circumstance doesn’t exist, which is why s3647 remains very relevant.

get back to me when I can build a functioning epyc Rome machine for under $300. Get back to me when I can get 2TB of memory for an a single socket epyc machine for under $1500. That day will come but it ain’t today.

 

[NablaSquaredG]

on this note.. does an LGA3647 board with the following specs exist?

- Single Socket
- 8 DIMM Slots
- 2x x16 PCIe (electrical x16!)
- 2x x8 PCIe (electrical x8!)
- able to run High TDC OEMs like 8259CL

basically a fusion of EPC621D8A (last slot is x4 only) and X11SPL-F (only x8 slots, no x16 - the x16 slots are electrical x8)

 

[unwind-protect]

Intel also has advantages in software tools such as profilers. Like i7z. And I don't think there even is a way to measure current PCIe utilization on EPYC the way Intel's PCM tool can.

 

[zachj]

on this note.. does an LGA3647 board with the following specs exist?

- Single Socket
- 8 DIMM Slots
- 2x x16 PCIe (electrical x16!)
- 2x x8 PCIe (electrical x8!)
- able to run High TDC OEMs like 8259CL

basically a fusion of EPC621D8A (last slot is x4 only) and X11SPL-F (only x8 slots, no x16 - the x16 slots are electrical x8)

What do you want to populate the board with?

 

[NablaSquaredG]

What do you want to populate the board with?

x16 Primary NIC, x16 NVMe Redriver (4x4) or NVMe Switch (x16 -> 8x4), x8 Secondary NIC, x8 HBA

 

[chinesestunna]

x16 Primary NIC, x16 NVMe Redriver (4x4) or NVMe Switch (x16 -> 8x4), x8 Secondary NIC, x8 HBA

With Hex channel RAM many board with 8 channels will only be full memory bandwidth up to the first 6 sticks. I've seen boards with 8 RAM slots and think it's due to trying to keep memory capacity same as socket 2011v3 xeons where 8 RAM slots gives you 2dpc

 

[NablaSquaredG]

With Hex channel RAM many board with 8 channels will only be full memory bandwidth up to the first 6 sticks.

6 Slots for DIMMs, 2 for Optane DCPMM. 8 DIMMs is standard for single socket LGA3647 ATX boards

 

[chinesestunna]

6 Slots for DIMMs, 2 for Optane DCPMM. 8 DIMMs is standard for single socket LGA3647 ATX boards

Ah that makes more sense, thank you

 

[zachj]

Do you need the bandwidth for quad nvme drives or just the capacity (and better-than-sata performance)?

because if all you want is 4 nvme drives there’s ways to do that that don’t require 16 lanes

 

[NablaSquaredG]

Do you need the bandwidth for quad nvme drives or just the capacity (and better-than-sata performance)?

because if all you want is 4 nvme drives there’s ways to do that that don’t require 16 lanes

Given that I would like to connect 8 NVMe U.2 / U.3 drives via PCIe switch, the answer is yes.

 

[itronin]

on this note.. does an LGA3647 board with the following specs exist?

- Single Socket
- 8 DIMM Slots
- 2x x16 PCIe (electrical x16!)
- 2x x8 PCIe (electrical x8!)
- able to run High TDC OEMs like 8259CL

basically a fusion of EPC621D8A (last slot is x4 only) and X11SPL-F (only x8 slots, no x16 - the x16 slots are electrical x8)

me too! I suspect there's a shenzen board out there somewhere. Just seems like there aught to be, right?

In the meantime I'm putting up with the shortcomings of the SPL-F when I can get them for < 300 or burning power and using X11DPH-T.

 

[RolloZ170]

AFAIK 8 DIMM slots to max out the 1TB of 2nd gen scalables

I suspect there's a shenzen board out there somewhere.

if sometimes it will be expensive.
dual is there
HUANANZHI X11D-8D
HUANANZHI X11D-16D

 

[itronin]

AFAIK 8 DIMM slots to max out the 1TB of 2nd gen scalables

if sometimes it will be expensive.
dual is there
HUANANZHI X11D-8D
HUANANZHI X11D-16D

hmmm that ATX sized board piques my interest a little bit. but... > $100USD than a used X11DPH-T, when. you factor in heat sinks etc. but ATX

 

[nexox]

hmmm that ATX sized board piques my interest a little bit. but... > $100USD than a used X11DPH-T, when. you factor in heat sinks etc. but ATX

I'm running a couple X11DPLs, very similar to that ATX board, the VRMs aren't beefy enough for the Platinum CL CPUs, I wish it could do DCPMM, and the square ILM is extra annoying to find coolers for, but otherwise I'm happy with them.

 

[RolloZ170]

I'm running a couple X11DPLs, very similar to that ATX board, the VRMs aren't beefy enough for the Platinum CL CPUs

4x 75Amp power stages used. the non 240W CLs are possible but not recomended for 100% 24/7 high loads.

 

[nexox]

4x 75Amp power stages used. the non 240W CLs are possible but not recomended for 100% 24/7 high loads.

One day 6240Rs will drop in price and I'll run your VRM mod and be happy with those, but if I had ended up with an X11DPH or something I would definitely have some of those 240W CPUs. Because 60 second kernel builds on my 6132s are clearly too slow.

 

[zachj]

Given that I would like to connect 8 NVMe drives via PCIe switch, the answer is yes.

OWC U2 Shuttle

World’s first U.2 carrier shuttle for 3.5-inch drive bays that combines up to four NVMe M.2 SSDs into a swappable, RAID-ready storage solution.

www.owc.com

Two of those will get you 8 nvme drives and use only two m.2 slots.

you’ll be hamstringing the performance of your drives but I’m hard pressed to believe any homelab needs more than 8GBps of io bandwidth…

 

[NablaSquaredG]

Two of those will get you 8 nvme drives and use only two m.2 slots.

That was not the question. I have stated very specific requirements. M.2 SSDs have no place where performance is required.

you’ll be hamstringing the performance of your drives but I’m hard pressed to believe any homelab needs more than 8GBps of io bandwidth…

Not everyone here runs only homelab.

 

[chinesestunna]

I may be able to get a Supermicro X11SPL-F board soon, any recommendations on for best bang per buck CPU? Mainly looking for good single thread performance, multi-thread not as critical, I read some of the Cloud OEM chips are a great and want to do the TDC mod.

 

[RolloZ170]

Mainly looking for good single thread performance, multi-thread not as critical, I read some of the Cloud OEM chips are a great and want to do the TDC mod.

note all need to remove TDP block of BIOS.
OEMs have no higher single threaded perf. except 8251(C) QS
Xeon W-3245(QS) <- don't need VRM mod.